The Price
by ravenclawshadowhunter13
Summary: The Seven have defeated Gaea-but at a cost. Percy and Annabeth are gone. These are the thoughts of the remaining members of the Seven, Nico and people who knew them as they discover their deaths.
1. The Seven

**Hey everyone! The idea for this came out of nowhere and I HAD to put it down, and this is the result! This is a one-shot and there's going to be a lot of POV switching, so be warned. R&R please :) P.S: Sorry if there are any typos, I typed this on my phone.**

* * *

PIPER

"Where's Annabeth?" Piper started twirling Katoptris as she surveyed the battlefield. It was as barren as it had been before, all rocks and red dirt. The Seven were there, minus two.

"Percy's disappeared too. I have no idea where." Jason was wiping his sword with his shirt. "Shall we-"

But Piper wasn't listening. Fifty feet away, amidst the dirt and rocks, lay two bodies. One had blonde hair and the other black. "Oh my gods," she whispered. Then she broke into a sprint. "Percy! Annabeth!" she shrieked. Piper faintly realized she was kicking up dust clouds behind her, but she didn't care.

The closer she got, the worse she felt. As she skidded to a stop beside the two, she saw that it really was Percy and Annabeth. Annabeth's hair was streaked with blood, and a nasty gash on her forehead showed one of her injuries. Percy's arm was around her, and Piper knelt beside him, wincing as she saw the spear sticking out of his chest. Piper frantically checked for a pulse on both, but felt none. How had she missed them leaving the others?

They had defeated Gaea, but at the heaviest cost Piper could ever have imagined.

Percy and Annabeth were gone.

Percy, the brave, sweet and sassy son of Poseidon whom Piper had always admired.

Annabeth, the smart and beautiful daughter of Athena who had been one of Piper's closest friends.

Piper realized that never again would she hear Percy sass, or Annabeth laugh, or see either be together with the easiness and beauty that was Percabeth.

She collapsed by Annabeth's side and wept.

* * *

JASON

"Percy! Annabeth!" Piper ran toward the two bodies.

"No." That was the first word out of Jason's mouth. As if by saying that he could reverse time. He knew what he'd find there, but followed Piper anyway-hoping against hope that he was wrong. How would he handle it if... **(A/N: I know it's the wrong fandom, but anyone get the Divergent reference?)**

When he got there, she was kneeling over Annabeth, gently stroking her forehead. Tears ran down her face, and even as they carved paths in the dirt and grime covering her, Jason thought that she looked beautiful. "Jason…" She bowed her head. "They're gone."

Jason hugged her. "They'll be happy in Elysium," he promised.

Piper lifted her head. "You think?"

"I know." Jason kissed her cheek.

As he held her, he couldn't help but silently pay tribute to the dead demigods-the heart and soul of the Seven. He started to realize that he would never see them again, and hugged Piper tighter, hoping that he could somehow chase her sadness away.

* * *

HAZEL

Frank put his arm around her as they stood beside Percy and Annabeth. In death, they looked peaceful. Percy had one arm slung over Annabeth, as if he had died comforting her. Tears sprang to Hazel's eyes, and even though she tried to blink them away, they just kept coming. Percy-the backbone of the Seven. Hazel still remembered their trip to Alaska. He had proved that he was a great person and had saved her life more times than she could count. And Annabeth. Hazel hadn't known her very well, but as she saw her face she remembered everything Percy had said about her. She was the unspoken leader of the Seven, smart and brave. Hazel had always admired her, from the moment she'd first seen her on the Argo 2.

Hazel fell to her knees beside them. She felt hollow inside, yet there was a fire burning inside her-a fire that screamed for vengeance. I'll avenge your deaths, Hazel swore silently. I'll find a way.

* * *

FRANK

Frank couldn't believe it. Annabeth, who had helped him figure out those pesky Chinese handcuffs, was dead. Percy, who had saved his life time and time again, was dead. Although he was Roman, Frank liked the Greek side well enough, and especially the Greek members of the Seven. And now two of the ones he respected most were dead. Dead and gone. He saw the tears on Piper's face as Jason held her, and almost crushed a ruby when he moved closer to Hazel.

She stared into his eyes, wordlessly pleading. "Tell me they're going to go to Elysium."

"I'm sure they will. Ask Nico." Frank said the words, but he could barely even move his lips to say them. All he could do was remember Percy and Annabeth. He missed them both, so much-even Annabeth, whom he'd barely known. Now the Seven wasn't the Seven. It was the Five. That sounded horrible.

Frank stared down at the bodies and wished them the best in Elysium. Where else would they go? They had died as heroes.

* * *

NICO

Nico stared at the two bodies. He knew that they were being judged as he stood there, and also knew that they were getting Elysium. That was good. Percy and Annabeth would be happy together forever.

His heart twisted. It had hurt when Percy was alive and with Annabeth, sure. But Nico had always held onto the hope that Percy would someday discover that he liked boys, too. It was a childish wish, but it was still a comforting one.

Now, he would never find out anything for sure. Nico was a coward for not telling Percy how he really felt. Jason had been right all along.

"Nico?" Hazel gently touched his arm. "Can you..."

He didn't need to ask what she meant. "Elysium," he snapped. He hadn't meant to sound so harsh, but it was too late now.

"Thank you," Hazel said quietly, and turned to go back to the others.

* * *

LEO

Leo had been tinkering ever since Gaea's fall, so he didn't notice what was going on right away.

Satisfied with what he had done so far, he had put his invention back in his toolbelt and realized that no one was in sight. Panicked, he spun around and saw everyone gathered around something. Nico stood off to the side, jaw working.

Leo saw Piper and Jason, as well as Hazel and Frank. Something hit him-why was everyone looking so sad, and where was Percabeth?

Oh, no.

Leo started sprinting before he even realized he was doing it. Oh, gods no. Please let him be wrong.

He started walking a few steps from the others, peeked over Hazel's shoulder and saw them.

Percy and Annabeth lay on the ground, both deathly pale. Annabeth had an ugly cut on her forehead, and she was covered in scrapes and bruises. Percy was similar, and oh gods, was that a spear buried in his chest?

"Are they..." Leo couldn't bear to say the words.

Hazel turned, her expression full of empty sadness. "Elysium."

Leo nodded, stepped closer, and then his legs gave out. He stared at the pair, so peaceful in death. Percy had his arm around Annabeth like he had been comforting her.

Normally Leo cracked jokes to relieve tension or when he thought the mood was too serious, but now he didn't. He couldn't. No amount of jokes would ever make this better.

Nemesis' words came back to mind. A sacrifice...

Was this it? The loss of two of the strongest, bravest, kindest and smartest of the Seven? One final loss that Nemesis would have known was too hard to bear?

Leo reached forward and closed Percy's eyes, hand shaking. It was done**. **


	2. Sally

**Hi! Okay, I know I said that this was going to be a one-shot, but apparently this is not a one-shot anymore. A bunch of people reviewed and one was like "write more!" (thank you Avery10) so this is the result. P.S: Sorry, but none of the chapters are going to be as long as the first one. At least, I don't think so.**

**Review replies:**

**Guest: I feel like that all the time too :)**

**Compliment Giver: Well, Piper is a daughter of Aphrodite, and I like to think that the Aphrodite cabin has found out what shipping is and ships Percabeth (because who doesn't!). You're right about the sass part, but I just had to write that :D**

**Avery10: Thanks for making me do this :)**

**WhiteEagle1985: Yeah, it is, isn't it :(**

**And finally, thanks to Matanator for fav/following this, thanks to Compliment Giver for favouriting, thanks to Jazzywazzy101 and thanks to survivoroftartarus47 for following. O_O I'm overwhelmed, so many reviews and favs and follows overnight! So thanks from the bottom of my heart. Sorry if this chapter looks different or something, because the last one was done on my phone and this one was done on my computer. I don't own PJO and see ya! **

SALLY

Sally was sitting on her couch, staring into space as she sipped her coffee. Or, more specifically, staring at a picture of Percy and Annabeth. They're so cute together, she thought, and tried to keep brainstorming for her novel like she should be doing…but Percy kept distracting her. She wondered if he was okay, and if he and Annabeth had defeated Gaea yet. But she didn't spend much time worrying about it, because they had always came back safe and sound with only a couple of scars to tell the tale.

Suddenly a cloud shimmered into existence in front of her, and Chiron appeared in the middle. His eyes were red, and behind him a bunch of campers were standing around looking devastated. "Hello, Sally," he greeted her. "I have some bad news for you."

Sally sat up. "What? Has something happened to Annabeth? Or Percy? Where are they?" She desperately scanned the background for information, but all she could see were campers and more campers. None looked very happy.

Chiron hesitated. "Sally, Percy and Annabeth…Yesterday they fought with the other members of the Seven to defeat Gaea. Everyone put up a brave fight, but there were losses sustained."

Well, that explained the general unhappy campers. "Oh, I'm so sorry," Sally sympathized. "Who was it? Piper? Leo? Jason?" Her heart panged. Percy had told her so much about all of the members of the Seven. **(A/N: I doubt that he actually did, but…)**

"No, Sally," Chiron explained. "It was…"

In that split second, Sally understood, and her world fell apart. The cup of coffee she was holding shattered against the floor, ruining her Oriental carpet, but she barely noticed. All she could think about was _Percy_. She had somehow blindly assumed that he would always come back to her. But this time, he hadn't, and this time he never would.

Chiron gave her a sorrowful look, even as a hollow pit of emptiness threatened to consume her. Sally tried to remember Percy's face, but found to her horror that she could barely see it in her mind. Waves of grief crashed over her as she fell back onto the couch, sobbing her heart out. With every tear that streamed down her face, her mind flashed through every memory she had of her little boy, and of Annabeth. I love you, she thought, and fresh tears rolled down her cheeks as she curled up into a ball, and every fiber in her body screamed that it hadn't been Percy's time to die, but what could she do about that?

Percy and Annabeth were-no, had been-demigods, and demigods had to fight monsters. It was inevitable, some part of her mind whispered. And Chiron's still there.

She didn't care. She didn't care. Sally wondered if she would ever care about anything ever again.

**Well, I've never tried this, but I gave it my best shot. Thanks for reading, and please review! Next chapter will be Poseidon and then Athena. After that I'm open to requests!**


	3. Poseidon

**Wow. I mean, literally, WOW. I just-I'm overwhelmed by all the love I'm getting :) Thanks so much to Tom Marvolo Riddle 2 (nice name by the way), Tmayhew, Spider6996, 2001, Gage Shadow, dogbiscuit1967, doughnutswilderness and PercyJacksontheChicken (haha I like your name :D) for following this. Also many thanks to Spider6996, ILovetoFly, Gage Shadow, dogbiscuit1967, and TheOcean'sFirstDaughter for favoriting. Wow, you guys, this means so much to me, so THANK YOU. I'm going to reply to reviews now (sorry for the long AN), so skip this if you don't want to read it.**

**dogbiscuit1967: Hahaha, I will keep that in mind! Although I haven't cried yet…is it really that sad? Well, I thought chapter 1 was worse. Actually, the end of Hazel's kind of creeped me out. :O**

**PercyJacksontheChicken: Your name makes me laugh every time I read it. I mean, I'm just imagining the great Perseus Jackson, savior of the world, as a chicken. But anyway, I will do Zeus for sure! It's gonna be interesting, no doubt.**

**Okay, and here comes the (hopefully) awesome stuff!**

POSEIDON

Really, Hades? Really? Was it necessary to give the Olympians a rundown on every single soul he had helped judge since the solstice? Annoyed, Poseidon leaned back into his throne and sighed. He could tell that this was going to be boring, and Hades was the first speaker.

Zeus was next. He had insisted going after Hades for some reason, and he looked a bit subdued. Poseidon grinned and regarded his brother with interest. Whatever this was, it was probably good if he was so on edge.

Poseidon would regret thinking that later, but he didn't know it at the time.

Zeus clasped his hands and looked at the other Olympians solemnly. "You all know about the quest that Perseus, Annabeth, Piper, Frank, Hazel, Valdez and Jason undertook." Poseidon thought that a flicker of pride crossed his face when he said Jason's name, and noticed that he had said Valdez. But then again, that was easier to remember than Liam or whatever the boy's name was.

Zeus took a deep breath. "Well, they have succeeded. The threat of Gaea is no more."

Immediately the gods started cheering, and Poseidon smiled with relief. Ah, the Earth Mother was gone. What reward would his son receive for this? His brain started working furiously. Perhaps he wouldn't reject godhood if the rest of his friends got it with him… **(A/N: This is the only sentence I have written in this entire story that makes me feel sad so far, besides Leo's "it was done".)**

Zeus held up his hand for silence, and his brethren quieted. "Now, we have slight, ah, cause for mourning." Mourning? But that was for dead people! Dead people! Was it Grace? Was that why Zeus was so sad?

Another deep breath. "Two demigods passed on as an aftermath of the fight. They have received Elysium for their work. Both fought bravely, mind you." He hesitated. "Poseidon, Athena, I'm sorry."

Complete silence. And then Poseidon's brain realized what this meant.

His favourite son was gone.

Dimly he heard Aphrodite screaming in anguish-something about her OTP?-and Athena shrieking about her daughter, but he paid them no heed. It was as if headphones had been placed on his ears, muffling everything.

Poseidon tried to recall his son's face. Percy had made him so, so proud. He had slayed the Minotaur and recovered his brother's master bolt, survived the Sea of Monsters, held up the sky, found his way through the Labyrinth, saved the world, become praetor of the Romans, and even survived Tartarus itself…Memories filled his mind, of times when he had gotten the chance to personally congratulate his heroic son. And of his mother. He wondered how Sally was coping.

Poseidon slumped down in his throne and tried to say something, anything, last words to speed Percy on, but there was nothing. He was broken. Of course Amphitrite was beautiful and his other son was amazing, but Percy was a _demigod_. The most powerful demigod of the century, no less.

Then he sat up, hopeful. He stared straight at Hades. "Are they-is he?" Poseidon couldn't even finish his sentence, he was so choked up. He wasn't surprised to hear that his voice was husky.

"Yes, yes, yes, he died a hero," Hades replied lazily, twisting his ring around his finger.

"Don't you DARE talk about my son that way!" Poseidon stared angrily at his brother, crackling with godly energy. "He was and is a hero, and always will be. Do you understand?" He almost dared Hades to refuse.

"Alright. Yes, he was a hero," Hades said, in a different tone. Almost reverent. "I wish my bratty little son was that powerful, or heroic."

"He _is_ a hero," Poseidon corrected, but he was becoming hoarse already, as if his throat was compensating for the tears that he should be crying, the sobs that should be racking his body, the grief that was squeezing him like an ever-tightening vise. Yet Poseidon was a god-an Olympian-and major gods like him did not show weakness in front of others. So he didn't.

But there was a small part of him, buried deep inside, that screamed for his lost son. For the life that he should have led, the children he should have had, the things he should have done. That tiny part was the only part of him that felt his son's loss as he sat on his throne, wishing that he could be anywhere else but here, silently and secretly wallowing in his grief.

**Oh my gods, the ending was horrible. But anyway, hope you liked it! R&R, it would make my day! Please! I'm begging you! xD See ya guys!**


	4. Athena

**Hello again, peeps! Sorry that I haven't updated in a while, I was just busy and had no motivation…However, I have been stuck at home all day and have decided to give Athena's POV a try. But first the thanks! Thanks to JaxedSilence for fav/following, and same to Ghost1247 and Lonely diamond in the sky. To the latter, more thanks for fav/following ****_me_**** as a writer, which I really appreciate :D Thanks to PercyJacksontheChicken for reviewing (and I wonder how you could have never thought of your pen name that way! :O) And also thanks to Guest for reviewing. Think that's it, so here we go!**

ATHENA

I could be reading, Athena mourned as she tapped her foot on the marble floor, swallowing the sigh that threatened to escape her lips. Then she reconsidered her thought-her father must have called the Olympians together for a reason. But what reason? Likely the aftermath of the battle with Gaea. Athena sniffed. Her daughter had done well.

As Hades droned on, Athena glanced around at her brethren, most of whom looked equally bored. She thought she could see Hephaestus quietly tinkering with something; a habit that most of his children had not failed to pick up. Another sigh she barely held back; Athena was starting to wonder if Zeus was ever going to do anything.

The moment she thought that, Hades fell silent and Zeus clasped his hands, looking visibly worried. Immediately Athena decided that one of the prophesied Seven had died from the look on his face. She was not disappointed, but she would later regret her deduction.

"You all know about the quest that Perseus, Annabeth, Piper, Frank, Hazel, Valdez and Jason undertook." Athena wondered why her father had called Hephaestus' boy by his last name, but then decided that it was merely easier to remember.

Zeus took a deep breath. "Well, they have succeeded. The threat of Gaea is no more."

Most of the gods began cheering, but Athena remained quiet, searching in Zeus' face and body language for the deaths that had occurred. Who had it been? Not knowing was driving her mad!

Zeus held up his hand for silence, and his brethren quieted. "Now, we have slight, ah, cause for mourning. Two demigods passed on as an aftermath of the fight. They have received Elysium for their work. Both fought bravely, mind you." Here he paused. "Poseidon, Athena, I'm sorry."

The goddess of wisdom was quick to realize what had happened. "NO! NOT MY DAUGHTER!" she shrieked, not caring that Aphrodite seemed equally distressed or that Poseidon looked numb. "You're wrong, Father!" She directed her stare at Hades, eyes wide. "Tell me he's wrong!"

"I apologize," he replied coolly, and Athena almost choked in her anguish. Never had she anticipated that her intelligent, brave and level-headed daughter would _die._ She had never even questioned the fact that Annabeth would return to Camp Half-Blood victorious. She was too alive to be gone. Gone just like that.

She closed her eyes, trying to get out of the throne room, but she found she couldn't, such was her grief. It squeezed her chest so that she couldn't breathe, and every time she did it only brought memories of Annabeth swirling up. While she had many children and she loved them all, Annabeth was special. Who else had survived Tartarus besides she and the sea spawn? No, there was no other demigod like her. There never would be again.

"Athena?" someone asked, but she merely ignored whoever had spoken. The entire world had turned dark. Never mind that the Earth Mother was gone, that was less important. What _was _important was that she hadn't even gotten to say goodbye to her daughter.

Athena carefully schooled her expression into one of boredom once again, but she wasn't sure it was working. Something had cracked inside of her, and she had no idea how to fix it. Except by bringing back Annabeth.


	5. Zeus

**Two chapters in one day! I'm back with Zeus' POV. Thanks to Halliwell2002007 for favouriting, and thanks again to The Dramatic Bookworm for doing the same. Also many thanks to ThePercyJacksonOracle for following. I like follows, it means that people actually want to read what I put up next :D And also thanks to my faithful follower PercyJacksontheChicken, who has reviewed :) BTW, I'm sorry about the chicken, did you like it a lot and what was it called? **

****DISCLAIMER:** Percy: FrozenDemigoddess13 doesn't own me or any of the other awesome peeps she talks about!**

**Me: Tell 'em, Percy!**

**Percy: Well, um, she wants you to read this stuff and I'm supposed to be dead, so PLEASE hurry up and read/follow/fav!**

ZEUS

The king of the gods paced in the throne room, trying to figure out how he should break the news to his daughter and brother. He honestly thought that they were tough and could handle it appropriately, but on the off chance they lost control they'd hate him. As if he could have stopped the deaths!

Zeus sighed and sat down on his throne, absently running his hands along the armrests. He decided that he wouldn't say it outright. Even he couldn't bring himself to say, "Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase were killed in the fight with Gaea." No, he wouldn't. He wasn't _that_ heartless. So he'd just apologize to Poseidon and Athena. Yes, that was what he'd do. Let them figure out on their own what he really meant.

"It's now or never," Zeus told himself aloud, and mentally called for the other Olympians to come in. They popped onto their thrones moments later, and Zeus called for the meeting to begin. "Hades?" he asked, and that was all the prompting his brother needed to start out on a long spiel about what had happened in the Underworld since the solstice.

After a relatively long time of ten minutes of droning, Hades finally quieted and Zeus spoke, trying to hide his worry and miserably failing from the curious look on Athena's face. "You all know about the quest that Perseus, Annabeth, Piper, Frank, Hazel, Valdez and Jason undertook." Zeus took a deep breath. "Well, they have succeeded. The threat of Gaea is no more." Most of the gods began cheering, their howls of joy filling the throne room.

Zeus held up his hand for silence, holding his breath in anticipation, and the other gods quieted. "Now, we have slight, ah, cause for mourning. Two demigods passed on as an aftermath of the fight. They have received Elysium for their work. Both fought bravely, mind you." Here he paused. "Poseidon, Athena, I'm sorry."

One split second of total silence, then Athena screamed, "NO! NOT MY DAUGHTER!"

Aphrodite shrieked, "MY OTP* IS RUINED!"

Poseidon was silent.

Zeus felt incredibly guilty for having to be the one to tell them, but he had to. Athena shook her head and cried out, "You're wrong, Father!" before turning to Hades and demanding to know the truth. Suddenly Zeus wished he could be anywhere but in the throne room, watching the crestfallen expressions of the gods as they realized that the most powerful demigod of the century, and possibly the cutest couple in history according to Aphrodite, was gone. Just like that.

"I'm so sorry," he said quietly, but no one heard. Zeus tried to convince himself that he had just said it for their benefit, but he knew in his immortally powerful heart that he was really apologizing to Percy and Annabeth. For their having to sacrifice their lives just so that there could be fleeting peace.

Zeus bowed his head and mourned.

*OTP: One True Pairing; usually used in regards to which couple the person in question "ships" the most. If you don't know what shipping is…sorry, I can't help you xD


	6. Aphrodite

**Thanks to ebookboss121 for reviewing (I'll try to do what you suggested sometime soon). I updated the end of the previous chapter, because I forgot to include the asterisk where Aphrodite says "My OTP is ruined" (:D) so yeah. Anyway, huge thanks to my loyal reviewer PercyJacksontheChicken for reviewing again :) and here comes the awesomeness! BTW, this one is kinda funny, I laughed while writing it. No one said all the chapters had to be heartbreakingly sad, after all.**

APHRODITE

The goddess of love and beauty tapped her foot on the marble floor impatiently, wondering if her makeup was alright. She had to keep up appearances, after all. Ares was expecting her to look her best for tonight.

Aphrodite couldn't care less about Hades' ramblings, or even the purpose of the meeting. She was solely worried about the dinner Ares was treating her to. Was she going to look good? She had to look her best! Oh dear, was that her makeup running already? She mustn't frown; no one knew antidotes for frown lines! They were permanent! Oh no!

She was barely paying attention when she heard Zeus say, "Poseidon, Athena, I'm sorry." For a second she was puzzled, but as the other gods started looking sad and she realized what must have happened. "MY OTP IS RUINED!" she shrieked, horrified. Who was she going to ship now?! Percabeth was perfect! And now, they were dead. Dead! And Percy had been _so_ cute, as well as being powerful. Hadn't he been the most powerful demigod in a century?! A century?! Wow, that was actually pretty long! Eek!

Aphrodite groaned in disbelief at her bad luck as she slumped down into her pretty pink throne, then quickly straightened up because posture was everything. She had promised Annabeth an interesting love life, and now she was never going to get to deliver. Bummer. She'd been interesting while she'd been alive. But maybe she could still throw something in during their stay in Elysium?

But of course she couldn't; they deserved this ending. Aphrodite started to sigh at her bad luck in losing her favourite couple, but she decided that it had been for the best. She _was _so horrible at committing to anything. Flighty, that's the word people used to describe her. And they were right.

Aphrodite promptly decided that her new OTP was Jasper-her own beloved daughter and that handsome Jupiter boy-and so stopped grieving Percabeth. They were in a better place, weren't they? Besides, Piper and Jason looked so cute together! And that was that. She had moved on.


	7. Thalia

**Thanks to galaxypearls for fav/following, and for ebookboss121 for favouriting.**

**PercyJacksontheChicken: Yeah, you better watch out Jasper :) And I just wanted to thank you again for continuing to review, it makes me happy :D**

**warisk8: Well, thanks for reading them all. And I do try my best.**

**Lonely diamond in the sky: I imagine Aphrodite as a flighty person. She's an immortal goddess, after all, and immortal goddesses get bored very easily. Especially if you're Aphrodite. She considered Percabeth a plaything, and what do you with playthings when they outgrow their uses? You get a new one and move on.**

**Final thanks goes to a guest for suggesting I do this. **

THALIA

Thalia was about to kill the squirrel when someone tapped her shoulder.

Jerking, she accidentally shot the arrow she was aiming, causing it to bury itself deep in the nearest tree and scare the squirrel away. Turning, Thalia saw that the person who had touched her was one of her fellow Hunters, Elsie. "Sorry, Thals," she apologized. "But this is really important. Lady Artemis wants all of us to gather-she has news."

News? Shrugging, Thalia followed Elsie back to the clearing where the tents were. "Thalia, squirrels, though? Really?" the younger girl asked, amused.

"I was bored," Thalia defended herself. "I mean, I have to do _something _when we're not killing monsters or recruiting new members or eating or sleeping or talking."

Elsie laughed. "Come on, we don't want to miss it," she reminded her lieutenant, breaking into a run. Thalia hadn't realized she'd wandered so far from the others, but didn't question her own motives for doing so. Nothing had been the same since Luke had died. Now that Annabeth and Percy were stuck fighting Gaea, she had no one to talk to. Well, her sisters were great and she loved them to death, but none of them were Annabeth. Sometimes a girl had to have some girl time, alone, didn't she?

Finally the two Hunters burst into the clearing where the tents were. All the other girls were standing around looking nervous, and Artemis stood in front of her tent. "Thalia, Elsie, there you are!" She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'm afraid I have news for all of you."

Thalia shifted uncomfortably, wondering what it was as the goddess continued.

"You all know, of course, about the quest the Seven are taking."

The girls started murmuring. The quest was a topic that everyone liked to gossip about. Which of the demigods was the bravest, if they'd succeed, who would die. Thalia usually didn't join in unless someone asked her about the two quest members she knew personally.

"The fateful quest has finally come to an end. Gaea has been defeated." Thalia smiled with relief. Yes! Percy and Annabeth had won again! But then she remembered how grave her goddess seemed, so she refrained from cheering with the others. Surely there was more to come.

As the daughter of Zeus had predicted, Artemis held up a hand for silence. "There is more, however. Two demigods did not survive the battle."

Everyone stayed deathly quiet after she had said that, and Thalia winced. She surmised that the demigods must have become close on their quest, and two deaths would hurt everyone. She wondered how Percy and Annabeth were coping.

Finally Artemis heaved a sigh and turned to Thalia. "I wish it was any other way. I greatly admired them both. But…I am truly sorry, Thalia."

For a moment Thalia had no idea what she was talking about, but then she realized. Greatly admired them both-Artemis was sorry-for _her_-

"Annabeth," she whispered, and it came out as a broken sob. She remembered the first time she'd met her. With Luke. She had been a fighter even then. And _Percy_. One of the most powerful demigods Thalia had ever met. Arrogant and cocky, but with a sweet side, too. And he had been able to make Annabeth happy. Thalia had never thought about it until that point, but she really had thought of Percy as a good friend. She had cared about him. And now?

They were gone.

Thalia didn't even care who saw as she broke down and wept.

**Yep, I know. Don't get mad at me, but I really try to make them as long as possible :( But do please R&R!**


	8. Grover

**This is definitely my most popular story xD Thanks to:**

**Fav/Followers: GhostSeaStorm, werewolves1999, Heyheybui, smkershner326, MargaretMidori chan**

**PercyJacksontheChicken: She wasn't going to eat it :) And I've already done Nico (in the first chapter, remember?) but I'll be sure to use your other suggestions!**

**Therealfangoddess: Wow, is it really that sad? But thanks for the support!**

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**GhostSeaStorm: I'll definitely try!**

GROVER

Grover was sitting in a clearing with Juniper, eating strawberries, when he heard the telltale clip-clop that signalled Chiron's approach. Immediately he swallowed the last bite of the strawberry he'd been eating and stood up, wanting to find out what Chiron wanted. It was rare for the camp director to seek him out.

Chiron looked more tired than Grover had ever seen him, face lined and eyes dark. "Grover, Juniper," he greeted them. "I have something important to tell you. It's about Percy and Annabeth's quest."

"What is it?!" Grover asked, heart racing. Chiron continually gave the campers updates on the quest as he got them-everyone wanted to know everything about it. It was a Great Prophecy being fulfilled, after all.

Chiron sighed. "Grover, Gaea has been defeated, but two losses were sustained. The Seven are not quite the Seven anymore."

Grover felt his eyes widen of their own volition. Who was it?

"Grover, I'm sorry. Percy and Annabeth didn't make it."

Grover stood frozen, unable to move. He heard Juniper quietly step away from him, but the sound was lost as he numbly tried to process the information. Percy and Annabeth? Gone? Percy, the best friend Grover had ever had, and Annabeth, one of the smartest and bravest demigods he'd ever known, dead? Just like that?

Grover had really hated Gaea already. It was because of her that hundreds of satyrs and nymphs had died, and he had been powerless to do anything. And now, because the Seven-or now, the Five-had defeated her, he was powerless again. Weak then, weak now. He wasn't brave like the questing demigods. He was just a tiny satyr who couldn't have helped his only friends in their time of need.

Feeling utterly alone and utterly useless, Grover fell to his knees and cried. Cried for the deaths Gaea had caused, for the damage she had wreaked, for the peace she had stolen-all of it. And most definitely he cried for Percy and Annabeth, and for the fact that however brave he'd thought himself to be, however smart or powerful or god-blessed, he was still just one satyr. And what good was one satyr to the world?

**R&R?**


	9. Camp Half-Blood

**Hey guys, I'm going to change my username :) It's gonna be ravenclawshadowhunter13, so look out for that xD And I know I just updated earlier, but I'm in a good mood! And this chapter is gonna be a little different from the others. I don't know how to explain, so read it.**

CAMP HALF-BLOOD

Chiron stood in front of the campers, watching them eat their dinner as they laughed and joked among themselves. He could hear some of them talking about the quest, and the Seven, and his heart panged. If only they already knew what he was about to tell them! He truly did not want to have to break this horrible news to them. But break it he must. There was no other way.

Squaring his shoulders, Chiron cleared his throat.

The campers stopped talking and turned to face him expectantly. Several of them whispered and elbowed each other-they knew this was a quest update. However, this was not the update they were expecting.

"As you all know, Percy, Annabeth, Leo, Piper, and the Roman demigods are on the quest to defeat Gaea that is perhaps the most dangerous quest ever undertaken. Yesterday, the demigods won. Gaea is a threat no more."

Instantly the campers started cheering. "Go Percy! Go Annabeth!" they hollered, only the Hephaestus and Aphrodite cabins yelling Leo and Piper's names-they were too new for recognition, but Percy and Annabeth were camp legends. Everyone knew and admired them, which was going to make this a lot harder.

Chiron spoke over the noise. "However, two demigods have died. Greek demigods."

Whispers broke out. Everyone was looking sadly at Cabins Nine and Ten, knowing that their newest members were dead-or so they thought. Of course they would think Percy and Annabeth wouldn't have died! That thought was simply unacceptable.

Chiron decided to rip off the Band-Aid, as the mortal expression went. "Percy and Annabeth have received Elysium for their work."

Dead silence.

Then, "WHAT?!" That was Clarisse, standing up from the Ares table. "You have to be joking! Valdez, superstar daughter-they can't-I-Annabeth-Percy-"

Chiron gave the campers a grave look and retreated, not knowing what else to say.

There was an uproar as the demigods got up, ran to other tables, and started talking. All of them wore looks of disbelief on their faces-even the usually unshakeable Ares cabin-and kept glancing up at Chiron to see if he would say, "Fooled you!" But he didn't, and so they realized it was true. Some people started sobbing. Most were in shock. The Athena cabin whispered frantically amongst themselves, most likely wondering what Annabeth could have done wrong that had led to her death and electing a new counsellor, and the other cabins' kids were quiet, staring mournfully at the empty Poseidon table. Percy had always been alone there, and now he'd never know what it was like to have a half-sister or –brother with him.

Chiron watched as the camp broke down, unable to accept that their heroes were gone. And he could do nothing about it. He could only stand there and mourn the losses of two incredibly powerful and brave demigods.


	10. Camp JupiterReyna

**I'm baaaaack! A good chunk of this chapter is a flashback. I've never written one before, so let me know if it's any good. You have been warned. Now enjoy :)**

CAMP JUPITER/REYNA

Reyna swallowed as she sat down for dinner, her mind whirling and her stomach writhing. She didn't think she could eat. Not after what she had just learned. Oh, gods, she prayed, please have mercy on me. She doubted she could get through the evening with her sanity intact if she didn't have supernatural aid.

A thought suddenly struck her. Percy wouldn't have wanted her to mourn like this. She barely knew him, but she did know that. With a sigh of determination, Reyna started to eat. The normally delicious food tasted like cardboard. She couldn't even remember what it was supposed to taste like. She closed her eyes, hoping that it would ease the pain of not seeing Percy there, and she was suddenly remembering what had happened earlier.

_*Flashback*_

_Reyna had been sitting in her office, feeling more tired than usual. She was used to running the camp alone, but she could still remember how much BETTER it had been with a fellow praetor to help out. She hadn't had to do half the amount of work she had to do now._

_Quite suddenly, an Iris message had shimmered into the air in front of her. She rarely used one, seeing as they were Greek, but they had their uses. Glancing up at it, she had seen to her shock that her own _mother_ was staring back at her. "Bellona?" she'd asked in amazement. _

_The goddess smiled. "It is I, my daughter, and I am so proud of all you have done. But I have news to give, and it is not pleasant."_

_Reyna gripped the edge of the table. She knew "unpleasant", and didn't like it at all. But she had waited patiently for her mother to explain what bad news she brought. _

_ "__You remember your praetor, Percy? He…won't be returning. Because he can't. He and his girlfriend were killed in the fight with the Earth Mother, though they conquered her."_

_Reyna's knuckles had gone white from how hard she was squeezing the table's edge. "No, Mother, that can't be true! I-what-who will lead with me?" She could barely believe what she was hearing. Percy had been-no, was!-a good praetor. He had to return. Reyna doubted that she could lead the Romans without him._

_Bellona had given her daughter a sad smile. "Reyna Ramírez-Arellano, you are a strong young woman. I know you do not wish to lead alone-for who does in this world?-but you must, for the good of Rome. There is a prophecy, my daughter, and if left unfulfilled it could destroy New Rome. And you will never be able to recover it. No one will. Ever."_

_Reyna had been left speechless. "What-how can I-do I tell the campers?" They were her priority now. The Romans; leading them was now her life._

_The Roman goddess of war had smiled gently. "You may tell them. The gods have decided that they will leave you to lead New Rome however you choose. We have much faith in you, Reyna."_

_Reyna had been flattered by the amount of trust the gods had in her. "Very well, Mother. I promise to lead New Rome to the best of my abilities," she had promised, even as she could feel her heart breaking. Another two demigods lost. Another mixed victory for the demigod side. And another experience of doing everything alone. Forever alone; that was Reyna. _

_Bellona had stared at her daughter with a conflicted expression. "I love you, Reyna, and I am proud of you and only want the best for you. No matter what." With a wave of her hand, the Iris message was gone…and Reyna was left alone in her office. She had realized with a sinking feeling that this was the true start of her lonely reign. _

_*End of flashback*_

"Reyna! Reyna, are you alright? You're not listening to anything I'm saying!"

Reyna looked up, startled out of her reverie, and realized with embarrassment that Dakota had somehow sat himself down across from her, and was staring at her with a puzzled look on his face.

"I'm _fine_, Dakota. Merely caught up in some thoughts," she said sharply. Too sharply-Dakota nodded, his eyes wide with fear, and abruptly left her table.

Which left her alone-again. She had better get used to it.

Fervently wishing that she was anywhere else at that moment, Reyna stood up and called for attention. "Camp Jupiter!"

Everyone's heads snapped around to face her as if it had been choreographed. For a moment Reyna felt a flash of pride-the Romans were organized to a fault. Shaking the pride off, she stood straighter. "I have news about the quest Perseus took."

There was silence. No one moved. No one seemed to be even breathing.

"Percy is…" Reyna's voice trembled slightly. "Dead."

Reyna had never before considered the possibility that silence could be loud, but it was now.

Then, "No way!" It was Dakota. He stood up and stared at Reyna. "No way," he said again. "Tell me it's not true."

All around him the other Romans stood up and started arguing, annoyed that they had lost such a good praetor so soon after they'd elected him. Reyna noticed with a pang that they were more upset about Percy's death in relation to themselves than about the actual death itself. They didn't really seem to care that the world had lost two powerful and brave demigods. Reyna wished that Percy was still alive, and not just because she didn't want to be alone. She wanted him to live the life he deserved. He was…interesting, and she wanted to talk to him again.

With a sigh of loss and loneliness, Reyna sat back down and ate.


	11. Luke

**:) Thanks, everyone! And I'm horribly sorry for taking so long to update, I was on vacation :(**

**Fav/Followers: Halfblood With A SIG and A Pen, the8thofthe7, amanda312chen, AnnabethPiperHazel1246, yumpla, Ronnie R15, Potterhead0711 (The last three favorited me as an author, and I can't update TLG [one of my other stories] so shoutout to them.)**

**Reviewers:**

**ThePercyJacksonOracle: I just wanted to say thanks for being such a loyal follower. You followed TLG practically the second I put it up, and you review too. It means so much to me :) And in response to your review, yeah, the Romans are weird :( And about the whole Frank/Jason thing….wow. I am so dumb. I forgot about that. Well, Jason isn't really Greek anymore, so yes, Frank would be praetor. I should probably change that, but I'd rather leave it un-canon like that. Thanks for pointing that out.**

**AnnabethPiperHazel246: I'm glad to see the story is punching your feels button.**

**PercyJacksontheChicken: True that. But I couldn't have Grover swaggering around with a huge ego, especially since he just learned that his two closest friends have just died, so… And I guess that because Chiron cleared his throat beforehand he got through the announcements xD**

LUKE

**(Luke is dead. Just an FYI. And I put him in Elysium, just because I think he went there and I don't remember if he actually did go or not in canon.)**

Luke was wandering around Elysium, bored out of his mind. He didn't _want _to go barbecuing at some ancient Greek hero's house, and he didn't _want _to make leis and party. He wanted to practice fighting and get better and use his newfound eternity in paradise to become the best swordsman he could ever be. He also didn't want to be subject to the hushed whispers and glances that followed him wherever he went, just because everyone thought he didn't deserve Elysium.

Not that he blamed them. He deserved the glances and whispers.

Sighing, he sat down on the grass, his back against a pine tree that reminded him of Thalia's. It was his only connection now to the camp he had once called home. Once called home-not because he was dead, but because they all hated him now. Not that he didn't deserve that.

Luke was watching the circle of grass that newcomers usually popped onto when they arrived. It wasn't very often that people came to Elysium, so he was surprised when two figures suddenly appeared.

And even more surprised when he recognized them. Percy and Annabeth!

"Annabeth," he whispered, and she must have heard him, because she glanced over at him, and suddenly she was running, and Luke threw his arms open and hugged her, forgetting the miserable years he'd spent, forgetting the grief he'd wallowed in, and only remembering Annabeth.

Percy walked over, smiling. "Hey, Luke."

"Percy," he said guiltily, and let go of Annabeth. "I don't deserve this, but thank you anyway."

"Don't deserve what?"

"You acting like this, acting like…you forgive me."

"We did, a long time ago," Percy said gently. "We understand what you were feeling, and why you did it. We can't forgive the things you did, but we've already forgiven you."

Luke felt his eyes widen. "I…thank you," he breathed. Then he shook his head. "Enough of that. I've done it too many times. Now, why are you here? What did the gods send you here for? And what quest on earth would send you to Elysium?" Percy and Annabeth had been on crazy quest over the years, and that was probably why they were here.

Annabeth shook her head. "No, Luke." Her voice was impossibly gentle. "It isn't a quest."

"So you…" He couldn't even say the words.

"Yeah," Percy said.

"I….I'm sorry," Luke said finally. He couldn't think of anything better to say.

"It's okay," Percy said.

A few moments of silence passed. Then Luke said, "Do you want me to show you around?"

"Sure," Annabeth said.

So Luke took his friends around their new home, peace in his heart. Today, he had finally begun to forgive himself.


	12. Tyson

**I wrote this in simpler language than I usually do, 'cause, you know, it's who it is. And this one is sad :(**

TYSON

Tyson was pottering around in Poseidon's undersea palace, making weapons and smiling to himself. Poseidon had said that he had NEWS! About PERCY! And ANNABETH! He couldn't wait to find out what it was. He was sure that bad Gaea was gone and good demigods had won, all by themselves. They were brave and smart. Good demigods.

Tyson watched fish swim by the window and waited for his daddy to call him. If Tyson interrupted an important meeting by running in-even though he really, really wanted to-Poseidon would not be happy, and Tyson wanted him to be happy! It was good for the cute sea creatures, like Rainbow, when Daddy was happy. The seas were calm and there were NO earthquakes. Yay!

"Tyson?" A voice drifted into the room, and the young Cyclops perked up. That was Poseidon's voice, which meant he got to hear the news!

Delighted, he raced out of the room, screaming, "DADDY!" as he ran down the hallway into the great throne room, whose big doors were thrown open wide. But he pulled up short when he saw his father, brow wrinkled in confusion.

There were no servants or guards or anyone besides his daddy, and he looked terrible. Poseidon's beard was much grayer than usual, and his normally happy green eyes were sad. In fact, his whole body was sending out imaginary waves of sadness, from the way he stared emptily into nothing to the clear grief on his face. He didn't look normal sad. He looked…broken. Yes, that was the right word. Like a machine that needed fixing!

"Tyson, my son," Poseidon said quietly, and even Tyson couldn't miss the way the sea god's voice cracked on the last word. "I have news for you."

"I know!" Tyson started to bounce with excitement. "Percy and Annabeth are coming home to visit! And celebrate their win against bad Gaea with good demigods!"

Tyson would later compare Poseidon's expression at his words to resemble someone feeling their heart shatter into a million pieces. "Tyson." His father's voice was incredibly soft and sad. "Oh, my son."

"Yes! I'm your son!" Tyson couldn't believe that Poseidon was STILL not telling him the news. What for? Tyson had already spoiled his surprise! Oh, no, was he sad because of that? He would have to make it up to him some way. Maybe he could-

"Tyson." Poseidon cleared his throat, interrupting his son's frantic thoughts. "I am afraid…that you've got the news wrong."

"Really?" Tyson frowned. "So the good demigods _won't _have a party with us here?"

"No, they won't. Percy and Annabeth won't, that is."

"What? Why, Daddy? Are they sick? Are they hurt?"

"No, Tyson. Percy and Annabeth aren't sick. Or hurt. And they won't have a party here with us. They will never be sick or hurt or have a party ever again. In fact, they will never live ever again." Poseidon's voice was as empty as his blank stare.

For a few happy moments Tyson was puzzled. But why wouldn't they-

And then he realized what his father was trying to tell him. Why he was so sad. What he meant when he had said that Percy and Annabeth would never live ever again.

"PERCY!" Tyson howled, tears welling up in his eyes. His vision blurred as sobs shook his body, and he screamed in horror and anguish and grief and _pain. _Indescribable pain. Percy was his big brother, who had loved him and protected him and befriended him when no one else would. And Annabeth was smart. Pretty and smart, and she loved Percy. That was good enough for Tyson. He was happy for Percy.

Or had been.

His tears came faster, and through them he could see Poseidon still sitting on his throne, frozen, tears streaming down his own face. He didn't get up to comfort his son, and Tyson didn't think he was even able to. Oh, Daddy, he wailed in his mind. Please tell me it's not true! Tell me it's a joke! A joke, like what the Stolls play on me!

But no one came to comfort him, and his daddy sat motionless where he was. So Tyson sat down on the cold floor and cried, all alone, lost in memories of his brother and the pretty girl together, happy….

And alive.

**Ow! Stop doing this to me! Well, it's me doing this to myself, so I have literally no one to blame but myself. Ugh, how sad. Anyway, please review and let me know how this was and how I did! **

**Oh, and IMPORTANT: I won't update until I get requests, so send some of those in if you want to keep reading this :)**

**~ravenclawshadowhunter13**


	13. Artemis

**Hey! Thanks to musiclover1346 for fav/following, and thanks to every single person who reviewed/fav/followed-especially AmberEmber7 for their major review spree :D Can't list you all here, so suffice it to say I LOVE YOU ALL xD I just got back from an all-school retreat, which is why I haven't updated in ages, but now I feel compelled! **

ARTEMIS

Artemis sat in front of her mirror braiding her hair, lost in thought. She was waiting for Apollo to bring news of the Seven on their quest; he was the Hunters' only connection to what was going on in the outside world besides the occasional meeting at Olympus. Today was Monday, the day her annoying brother usually came, and she was honestly nervous. Gaea was an enemy that no demigod had ever faced the likes of before, and if Artemis was honest with herself, she was worried for Percy and Annabeth's wellbeing.

Percy was unlike any demigod she'd ever met. Handsome, but she would never admit it to _anyone_, and talented, too. Throw in his mixed respect for the gods and bravery, and, well…he reminded her of Orion. The thought of her long-dead lover sent a sharp pang through her heart, and so Artemis pushed the thought away and tried to focus on her hair. After a few moments, though, she gave up and listened as intently as she could for the telltale sound of Apollo's chariot in the air.

Barely a minute later, she finished her braid, and as she rose from her gilt-backed chair she heard the faint noise of wings beating in the sky. Heart pounding, Artemis hurried from the tent and moved to stand by the crackling fireplace, watching the distant skyline through the trees. The sound of wings grew louder and louder until Apollo's chariot finally came into view-and she gasped in shock.

The chariot, usually shining like the sun, wasn't glowing at all; instead it dully reflected the moon's glow. The pegasi were subdued, and Apollo himself looked…tired. Artemis couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him like this. It was heartbreaking to see the perpetually upbeat and joyful god so somber.

"Apollo!" she called, rushing to the chariot. "What has happened, my brother?"

"I don't know how to say it, so I'll just say it. Percy and Annabeth are dead," he said lifelessly, and that was when Artemis froze.

She couldn't move, couldn't breathe, she was so shocked. _Impossible, _her mind protested. _Percy and Annabeth are too strong, too brave, too kind, too _good _to die. _But even as she refused to believe it, another part of her whispered that it must be true. Hadn't she just been thinking that Gaea was unlike anything any demigod had ever fought? She was too powerful for the Seven, no matter how powerful they might be. Even the gods had lost to her. How could mere demigods have done what their immortal parents failed at? It was wrong. Artemis knew it was irrational, but she couldn't help feeling as if it was all Gaea's fault, just for existing. Because it had resulted in the death of Percy and Annabeth.

If Annabeth had joined the Hunters…

Artemis closed her eyes. There was no point thinking along those lines. Annabeth loved-no, had loved Percy. It was too late for "what if" questions, too late for the millions of fears and memories and hopes that the demigods' deaths had stirred up in her. She would just have to tell her Hunters, and comfort them as best she could.

"Apollo, did…" Her voice was hoarse. Percy had been so brave. He deserved it.

"Elysium," he confirmed gently. "Hey, Arty, it's going to be okay."

"Thank you for telling me this," Artemis forced out, acting as if he hadn't spoken. It was a clear dismissal; all she wanted was to be alone.

Apollo hesitated, clearly unsure of what to do. Usually she would scold him for calling her Arty, but she didn't care about that anymore. She didn't care about anything. "I'll see you then, sister." He raised his head and softly called to the pegasi, shooting her one last concerned glance before he swiftly rode away. And that was that-he was gone. Just like Percy and Annabeth.

Artemis turned and walked back to her tent, her entire body numb. She couldn't feel anything. Had Gaea even been defeated? She'd forgotten to ask Apollo. But then again, the world would probably be burning if she hadn't been.

But if it was, she'd be able to see the flames dancing, hear their crackling, and smell the sickly sweet scent of fire.

She'd be able to feel something again.

**This is such a reflectional fanfiction. Everyone is reflecting. :( Tell me if there's anything I can do to improve my writing, guys, and remember to review. And I'm out! :D**

**~ravenclawshadowhunter13 **


	14. Percy

**Thanks to SoulHorse for fav/following and to pecabethlover for his/her fav. Reviews! Thanks to the guest who started sobbing (this story gets a lot of that) for his/her review :) Sorry I haven't been thanking/replying like I usually do, I lost a lot of the emails FFN sent me. I also want to say a heartfelt thanks for all the support, it means a lot to me. Can you guys check out my other stories and see if you like them? :D **

**Anyway…this one's kinda gory, in my estimation anyway. So if you get easily disturbed by that kinda thing, yea. You won't die if you don't read this. But I don't think it's THAT bad. You'll have to see for yourself.**

PERCY

**Yes, I know what you're thinking. Just read! Also, Rick Riordan owns everything recognizable. :D**

Percy looked around wildly, but the rest of the Seven were fighting for their lives. Jason was defending Piper against a horde of angry Cyclopes, Frank was facing off as a dragon against a giant, and Hazel and Leo were working together to defeat a pack of hellhounds. There was no one left. He was on his own.

"Annabeth, don't worry, it'll all be okay," he said desperately, glancing back at her.

She sat propped up against a rock, wincing occasionally as a spasm of pain ripped through her. Percy couldn't bring himself to look at the charred, bloody mess that was her left leg. "If you say so, Seaweed Brain," she half-whispered.

The determination on her face motivated him, and he nodded once before turning back around to meet the monster looming over him. It looked like nothing he'd ever battled, like a mix between a Titan and a Cyclops, and it was out for demigod blood.

Percy was already weak from blood loss and too much fighting, and he knew that he wasn't going to survive this. "I love you, Annabeth," he said over his shoulder, as the monster struck.

Its long, wickedly sharp spear cut through the air, and Percy dodged-but not fast enough, his strength and reflexes long spent. It went straight through his heart; he could feel his lungs gasping for air as blood started to seep through the ragged remains of his T-shirt, and a hole was literally ripped in his chest.

There was a quickly stifled shriek from behind him, and even as Percy fell to his knees, pain raging through him like wildfire, he felt a pang of sorrow for Annabeth. Sadness for the fact that she was losing him. He would die inside if she was killed like this, pitiful and broken.

The monster laughed and started on Annabeth, and Percy closed his eyes in pain. A few moments later, the sickening crack of bones breaking shot through him like another spear, and it hurt. Oh gods, it hurt. Dying hurt, and Annabeth's dying hurt. Percy had long ago accepted that he would sometime, in his demigod life, die, but he had never imagined it as being quite this bad. It hurt worse than anything else in his life had combined.

The monster stormed away, convinced that the two demigods were finished, and Percy heard a faint voice whisper his name. With every remaining ounce of strength he possessed, he turned and found Annabeth there, her face almost as gray as her eyes and blood running down her shirt. But even as he stared at her, he found that she was still the most beautiful thing in his life, and nothing, not even death, could change that.

"Percy, it hurts," Annabeth said simply, pain clear in her voice. She was beyond strength. She was broken. As was he.

"Annabeth," was all Percy managed to get out before he fell back against the ground. Rocks dug into his back, and even through the pain all he felt was a dull sort of acceptance of death. An acceptance of the ending of his life.

"Oh, Seaweed Brain. You know I love you."

"I love you to hell and back."

"Back at you. Oh my gods, Percy, I love you so much."

"Okay."

"Okay." **(I ****_could not resist _****putting that in. Review if you know where this is from, just finished rereading the book :D)**

It was so simple, the way they talked to each other in their final moments. Just an exchange of "I love you" and "It'll be okay". And when finally, Annabeth's broken neck caught up to her, as she cried out in pain, Percy put his arm around her to keep her warm, and give her, if only briefly, the allusion that she'd be okay.

He watched the life drain out of her.

Her eyes, always bright with energy, had turned glassy, and her beautifully unlined face was streaked with dirt and blood. While she fought, Annabeth's expression could be so drawn, so tight, so ready for pain and sadness and death, but now it was almost peaceful. And she was; Percy was sure that she was in a better place.

Somehow, he knew it was his time to go, too.

I love you, Mom. You're the best. Paul, thanks for being the best stepdad I've ever had. Poseidon, thank you for being my father. I love you. Piper, Leo, Jason, Frank, Hazel, you guys are amazing. Thank you. I couldn't have lived this long without you all. Annabeth, I love you; I'll see you on the other side. And so went the rest of the quick silent goodbyes he made in his mind as he lay there dying. None of them quite sufficed, or explained how much he loved them or how much they had done for him, but it was all he had. He hoped that it would be enough.

Percy's grip tightened on Annabeth's dead body as he closed his eyes. A dull numbness spread through him, starting in his feet and making its way through his whole body, and soon he was blissfully unaware that footsteps were racing toward him and someone was sobbing. He wasn't aware of anything.

And with that, Percy Jackson died.

**Five more seconds, and Piper would've gotten to say goodbye. Five more minutes, and everyone would've. Ten more, and he might have survived. But after Annabeth's death, I don't think he had the strength to do anything. It's sad, really. Although I haven't cried yet. These aren't THAT sad-to me, anyway.**

**Let me know how I did! I don't write deaths/gory scenes very often. Also, request, please. Hades is next, but after that I'm open. Have a great day!**

**~ravenclawshadowhunter13**


	15. Percy, Part 2

**PercyJacksontheChicken, thank you for your reviews! Yes, Tyson's is quite sad, yes, Percy is talented (xD) and yes, so is Percy's, but this IS a sad story. And YES IT IS TFIOS IT'S SO SAD OH MY GODS :( And I know I said that this chapter would be Hades, but since ShinnyStar (thanks) asked for it, here ya go. Thanks to LadyCooper, Berna45, Anachooos, .37, and RICEwong for their favs/follows. Finally, thanks to Anubis (a guest), you made me happy! :)**

PERCY (PT. 2)

Percy awoke in confusion. Where was Annabeth, and why wasn't he dead?

His eyes opened, and he saw three thrones in front of him, made out of elegantly carved bone. Two women and one man occupied them, staring down at him. Percy was almost certain that he saw a kind twinkle in their eyes, but didn't dare assume anything-these would be his and Annabeth's judges, after all. Besides, they looked oddly familiar. The second thing Percy noticed was that he was holding hands with someone.

He turned, and saw Annabeth. But to his surprise, she didn't at all look like someone who had just died in a war. She was wearing her orange camp T-shirt, with its familiar pegasus logo on it, and jeans. Her hair was loose, and her face radiated youthful beauty, her eyes bright. In short, she looked exactly like she had the first time Percy had ever seen her.

"Percy," she sighed in relief, and he threw himself at her, hugging her like he'd never let go, and she hugged him back just as tightly. When he pulled back ever so slightly to kiss her, almost smothering both of them, she responded in kind, kissing him like she had never before, and it was amazing. Wherever this was, Percy wanted to stay here.

"Lovebirds," someone remarked in distaste, voice heavily accented. Percy quickly stepped back from Annabeth but didn't let go of her hand, sure that his cheeks were as red as a tomato.

One of the women on the thrones sighed. "They just _died,_ William. Let them be."

William-wait, was this _Shakespeare _William?-rolled his eyes. "As you desire, m'lady. 'Tis sad, Amelia, though, that these young demigods died so soon. Methinks they should have lived a longer life."

"Enough with that! I know you can talk like a twenty-first century person."

"Can I?' Shakespeare challenged.

"We have something to do," the other woman hinted. Percy recognized her-vaguely

"Yes, yes, let's get to the point, Amelia snapped. Then she turned a soft smile on Percy and Annabeth. Percy personally* found it slightly scary how quickly she could change moods. "As you likely know, we are here to judge you."

Percy gulped, and hoped that he would at least get into the Fields of Asphodel. He was sure he wouldn't land his unlucky self in the Fields of Punishment-he'd done nothing _that _horrible. In fact, he'd saved the world multiple times. That alone should be enough to get him into Elysium.

"Of course we will let them into Elysium. They died heroes' deaths," Shakespeare said, though he sounded oddly…_resigned _about that fact.

"We must review dere lives first," Harriet said calmly-she had an accent, too-and then Percy was swept into a flood of memories-both Annabeth's and his own, ones he'd forgotten and ones he hadn't.

There he was, as a baby, Sally rocking him in her arms with a dreamy smile on her face. She looked much younger than Percy remembered her as looking. And then there was Annabeth on her father's doorstep, and her father's look of horror as he discovered her. Percy, five years old, playing at the park while Sally watched him fondly. Annabeth, reading a book at six, huddled in a corner as her brothers argued. Percy, age six, bullying a younger child. Annabeth, age six, slapping her younger brother in anger. Percy, eight years old, laughing at a boy who had tripped. Annabeth, age six, kicking and screaming in rage as her stepmother dragged her to her room and locked the door, leaving her to cry alone in a corner.

There was Annabeth, age seven, flying out of a garbage can and whacking Luke and Thalia with a hammer. Luke, vowing to be her family forever as Annabeth's eyes shone. Percy, twelve, in a car with his mother and Grover during that wild first drive to Camp Half-Blood. Percy watched his memory-self meet Chiron for the first time before the memories started to flip by faster, like a flipbook on fast-forward. Annabeth and Percy appeared over and over again, everywhere from the Sea of Monsters to Mount Tamalpais to the Labyrinth to Mount St. Helens to Mount Olympus.

For a few moments there was nothing to see but mist, thick white mist, and then it cleared to reveal Annabeth sobbing on her bed in the Athena cabin, clutching a picture of Percy to her heart. The scene changed to show Percy, walking beside Hazel in bewilderment as she showed him New Rome. Percy and Annabeth, reunited, and Annabeth crying as she judo-flipped him over her shoulder. Percy and Annabeth in Tartarus, hobbling along the River Phlegethon. Percy and Annabeth, collapsed by the Doors of Death as their friends fought Clytius.

The onslaught of memories flashed by even faster, so quickly that Percy could only catch a glimpse of his face here or a lock of Annabeth's hair here there, until finally it ended with one single picture-the rest of the Seven and Nico gathered around Percy and Annabeth's dead bodies, sobbing, crying or staring at them with shocked and sorrowful looks on their faces.

As abruptly as the slideshow of Percy and Annabeth's life had begun, it ended, and Percy was left to stare at Harriet, Amelia and Shakespeare with amazement. He glanced at Annabeth and saw that her eyes were wide, though he didn't know from her expression what she was feeling.

"They went down fighting, as is honorable for a demigod. Not only that, but they 'ave also saved da world multiple times. I vote dey go to Elysium," Harriet said.

"Yes, that is certainly admirable, and they are brave, too. I agree. I vote Elysium," Amelia said confidently.

Shakespeare eyed Percy and Annabeth critically. Percy felt as if those eyes were X-raying him, seeing through him to his soul. "Yes," he agreed, though he sounded rather reluctant. "I suppose I must 'go with the flow', as you young'uns say nowadays."

"Do not agree simply because you know you will not win. Cast your vote true," Amelia chastened.

Shakespeare nodded. "I do want to say yes. I truly do. But we have glossed over most of the…less honorable actions these demigods have committed. We must review those before we can make a fair decision."

Amelia snorted. "These demigods are brave, loyal, strong, smart and powerful. We have no need to review anything more, Will."

Shakespeare sighed. "I see what you are saying." For a long moment he was silent, Amelia and Harriet staring intently at him. Percy watched him too, and was startled to see that the great English poet's expression went from pensive to worried to peaceful in less than ten seconds. "Yes," he said slowly. "Unless they opt to be reborn, let Perseus Jackson and Annabeth Chase go to Elysium for eternity."

Annabeth looked at Percy at the exact time he looked at her, and as their gazes met he understood that neither of them would choose rebirth soon, if at all. They treasured their newfound peace too much.

Harriet gave them a warm smile, wished them good luck, and clapped once. A single ray of light shot down on them, enveloping Percy in its warmth.

The last thing he was conscious of was the feeling of Annabeth's warm hand in his.

**Alright, so as you probably guessed, Luke's chapter comes right after this one, because the magical ray of sunlight transported them straight to Elysium right in front of Luke. I just thought it would be cool for them to appear like that, LOL. Anyway, please review and follow/fav if you think my story deserves it! Also, if you like this story go check out my other ones, PLEASE! **

***Haha, don't you think "Percy personally" sounds funny? :D**

**Thanks a million, ravenclawshadowhunter13**


	16. Hades

**Special thanks to Pinkbeauty63, , and Fanfictionlover12k for fav/following :) Also, I've edited Percy, part 2, because I realized that I accidentally posted it funny AND switched from third to first person near the end, so that's all fixed! Here you go, then. Enjoy! **

HADES

Hades scowled as he sat on his throne, utterly still. He hated being here with the rest of the Olympians; he still wasn't used to having a seat and a voice in the council. He just wanted to stay home-if you could call the Underworld a home-and yell at his son for not being a Percy. For not being heroic enough, for not being the right kind of hero. His son would melt into the shadows, while the son of the sea spawn rode the waves of adoration. Ironic, really.

Hades would never tell anyone, except perhaps Persephone, but he held a deep respect for Percy Jackson. At twelve, he had accomplished what his son at twelve would never have dared, and at sixteen, he had saved the world-again!-while Nico had made a…a cameo appearance, if you will. And now, at Percy's too-early time of death, he had won the respect and favour of Olympus where the di Angelo brat never would. As much as Hades (grudgingly) loved his son, he was also jealous of Poseidon for having such a hero to call his son.

Sighing, he sat up straighter as Zeus and the other gods flashed onto their thrones, and Zeus cleared his throat. "Hades?" he asked.

To distract himself from the jealousy, anger and sorrow that whirled in his head and heart, Hades started to describe every single soul he'd managed to meet, judge or see since the last solstice. He was right-it _was _distracting, and boring besides. Half the gods looked ready to be ripped apart from boredom alone. Every shade was the same; lost, confused, and prone to much loud wailing. They didn't vary much, unless you differentiated the pitches at which they screamed and whether they wailed, sobbed, yelled, cried, screamed, or any combination of those.

After what Hades judged was long enough, he stopped talking, and from the looks of relief on the other Olympians' faces, he wasn't the only one who was glad his spiel was over. "You all know about the quest that Perseus, Annabeth, Piper, Frank, Hazel, Valdez and Jason undertook," Zeus began without preamble. Hades noticed with a pang that the sea spawn had been listed first. Since Nico wasn't one of the Seven, but had merely traveled with them to give his aid, his name wasn't even on the list.

"Well, they have succeeded. The threat of Gaea is no more."

The gods started to cheer, and Hades nodded to himself in relief. Gaea had been an enormous threat to their safety, and it was good that she was gone. Even if he'd already heard the news, it was good to hear it again. It was sure confirmation that it wasn't just one of Hermes' blasted pranks again. He still hadn't forgotten the enchilada one, and still had not exacted vengeance. Perhaps one day Nico would help him respond in kind.

"Now, we have slight, ah, cause for mourning." Zeus' voice tightened, and Hades' throat closed in sympathy. He knew how hard it must be to bear such horrible news to their brethren. "Two demigods passed on as an aftermath of the fight. They have received Elysium for their work. Both fought bravely, mind you… Poseidon, Athena, I'm sorry."

There was only stunned silence for a moment, as the gods tried to work out what their king meant, then Athena screamed, "NO! NOT MY DAUGHTER!" with a look of utter distress on her face. Hades thought of what it had felt like to lose Bianca, and a flash of pain crossed his heart.

Aphrodite yelled that her teepee was ruined…whatever that meant.

"You're wrong, Father! Tell me he's wrong!" The goddess of wisdom and warfare rounded on Hades then, voice shaking.

He hesitated for a split second, not wanting to drive the pain in any farther, but only responded with a cool "I apologize".

Athena closed her eyes, leaning back against her throne with an air of defeat. Artemis, near her, asked if she was alright, but she didn't respond. Poseidon looked equally grieved, and even as Athena tried to pull herself together, failing miserably, and Poseidon sank deeper into his own personal Tartarus, Hades quietly, silently and rather impassively mourned for the heroes who were gone. They had done the world a great service-but then again, Hades concluded, they were better off in Elysium.

And so he thought no more of Percy and Annabeth for the remainder of the meeting.

**Review, fav and follow, PLEASE, and have a great day! :)**


	17. Ares

**Thanks to rodgerskfan, percabethbooklion, and Sophia the daughter of Nyx for their favs/follows. Also, thanks to Sophia for your review :D and same goes to percabethbooklion. Anyway, yeah, that's about it for now. Here comes the next chapter, and I also don't own anything recognizable!**

ARES

Ares yawned as he sat on his throne, absently picking at the leather armrests. He hated these stupid council meetings. His time would be much better spent training those punks who dared to call themselves his children. They were good, yes, but not quite good enough for their father. He was the god of war, after all, punks. He was DOMINANT.

Zeus was saying something about the Seven. Hmph. He couldn't care less about them, since none of his children were one of them. (Well, if you counted Zhang, but he was Mars' son, not his.) Although he hoped that their quest succeeded, because even he had to admit how much of a threat Gaea was to the gods' continued safety and (relative) happiness.

Ares sighed, then jerked up as the gods started to cheer. Realizing that Zeus must have announced that Gaea was gone, he bellowed out a "THANK YOU, THE SEVEN" to express his enthusiasm.

Then Zeus prattled on about how two demigods had died, which got Ares' attention. He had been expected all seven of…well, the Seven, to pull through. _Two _deaths was surprising. They were all smart and strong and brave, yada yada, in their own way. The only question that remained was, who had died?

Zeus apologized to Poseidon and Athena.

Ares wasn't as dumb as everyone seemed to think. He immediately made the connection, and to his surprise a wave of sadness crashed over him. He understood the complexity of war and appreciated its beauty in a way few others did, and part of that was being able to tell who was good in a war and who wasn't. Percy and Annabeth were-no, had been, very useful. They had won the war, after all, with the help of their friends. And Percy was one of the few demigods who had ever defeated him in battle. Rare. And he was strong, besides.

So Ares, pretending not to care on the outside even as Athena screamed and Poseidon looked like he was the one who had died instead of Percy, paid a silent tribute to Percy and Annabeth. Thank you, he thought with a clear sincerity that surprised him-again. Jeez, those two's death was full of surprises. Anyway, he thought, thank you for everything. For being worthy opponents.

For once, Mars was useful-he offered a phrase in Latin that Ares thought suited the situation fairly well, and so he whispered it under his breath as a token of honor.

Ave atque vale. Hail and farewell.

**Hahaha. Thumbs up if you've read Mortal Instruments! Anyway, review, request, follow and fav please! **

**~ravenclawshadowhunter13**


	18. Nico, Part 2

**Edited! Sorry about the horrible formatting before. Thanks**

** so much to CaptnNorway, Sophia the Daughter of Nyx, ShinnyStar, repsac35705, dkhockey18, percabethbooklion, AmberEmber7, OverLordRevan, PercyJacksontheChicken, and a kind Guest who was apparently "just reviewing" for your various reviews, favs, and follows. But anyway. So I know I've already done Nico in the first chapter, but someone (you know who you are (: ) said that Nico's was pretty much a short little blurb, so…**

NICO, PART 2

Nico sat on his father's throne, unhappily twisting the skull ring on his finger back and forth. It had been days since he'd returned from defeating Gaea, and his mind was still numb with shock. He couldn't believe that Percy and Annabeth were gone. As quickly as if he'd snapped his fingers and said "die".

The ring started to grate on his knuckle, digging into the soft folds of skin. It was beginning to hurt, but Nico didn't stop twisting. His mind was overwhelmed with memories of Percy: Percy as the first time he'd ever seen him, with Riptide in hand and looking like an avenging angel in all his glory, even without wings. Percy at Camp Jupiter, staring at him in puzzlement, because _he had remembered him._ And Nico remembered, too, refusing to tell him who either of them was, as well as a thousand other things. Dreams, wishes, hopes, emotions; they had all been swept away by Percy's death.

Nico knew that he was a despicable person, because of what he felt for Percy. Society would shun him, demigod or not, if they knew the truth. Hades, the only person in his life who actually knew him well enough to love him, only grudgingly did so because Nico was his offspring, in that way parents had of dutifully loving their children as if it was a burden they had to carry. Bianca, the only person in the world who had loved him unconditionally, was dead and in Elysium. She had tried for rebirth, but she had also told Nico never to try to find her in the mortal world. She had swum in the River Lethe, and wouldn't remember him, anyway. Even the love she'd had for him was gone. Everything. Even her own name.

Nico couldn't imagine it.

He sighed and leant back on the throne, and only then was he aware of something wet trickling down his finger. Looking down in shock, he saw that he had been twisting his ring so hard that it had drawn blood. Without his even knowing.

Soon Hades would return, from wherever on Olympus he was—literally, because he was, after all, at a council meeting—and he would probably be mad at Nico for sitting on his throne. He couldn't say he cared. Ever since Percy's death, he had stopped caring about most things. Occasionally he checked in on Percy and Annabeth in Elysium. They never saw him, but he saw them, laughing and partying and being happy. Together. He had seen them share more than a few kisses and hugs, and some days it made him happy for their love. Other days it made him want to tear his hair out. Unrequited love, even when it was just a really strong crush, was terrible. Nico wasn't sure what he felt about Percy, himself. He knew that Percy was off limits—always had been, always would be—but he still fought down butterflies in his stomach whenever he thought of him, and his heart still beat faster whenever he remembered what he'd been like alive. Or, at least, on Earth.

Nico didn't know how long he'd sat there, twisting his ring (which he'd moved to a different finger) and staring into space, remembering Percy's bravery, funniness, and kindness. He would even have been kind and polite if he'd learned about Nico's real sexual orientation. Which would make it even worse. Nico would much rather deal with an angry Percy who hated him.

He traced the ring's pattern absently with the still—bleeding finger: it was a raised white skull, engraved onto a plain obsidian background. It had been a thirteenth birthday present from his father, and he'd worn it every day since. Nico wasn't sure why; it had just never occurred to him to take it off. For what must have been over an hour, he just sat there and tried to piece together exactly how and what he felt regarding Perseus Jackson. **I know there are some readers who've stuck around from the beginning. I want to thank them. As for the ones who've just jumped on the bandwagon, well, welcome! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review/follow/fav, and remember to request! :)** **~ravenclawshadowhunter13**


	19. Charlena

**Someone asked if there would be a plot after the mourning and everything. That's a good question. The answer is, no, there won't. This is just a collection of one—shots, guys, so yeah :D Okay, HUGE influx of thanks coming your way! Thanks to percabethbooklion, Tom Marvolo Riddle 2 (love your name, and the chapter is fixed :D), PercyJacksontheChicken, AstheDragonFlies, OverLordRevan, Amphrite (a Guest), Sophia the daughter of Nyx, Shinny Star, Amber Ember7, apple5745, AnnabethChase000 (you can change your username in settings on the desktop version of FFN), SMango55, WiseGirl1190, and HTCWWE999. Holy Hera, that was long! But thanks to everyone. Sorry for that horribly long AN though. Anyway, as a personal favour to my best friend and fellow fanfiction author, KitKatWei, and to my loyal reviewer Shinny Star…this is Charlena!**

CHARLENA

Silena sat next to Charlie, holding his hand and smiling to herself. She still couldn't believe how lucky she was, to be able to be reunited with her boyfriend in paradise. Her death—and fooling the Ares cabin—had been worth it, if only to see Charlie again.

But she could still remember how her spirit hadn't departed for the Underworld right away. She had watched as Clarisse had wept over her lifeless body, how the Ares children had stared in shock, and how horrified everyone had been at her sacrifice. That was the one thing she regretted; leaving Clarisse and her siblings behind. The daughter of Ares had become a true friend to her in the months between Charlie's death and hers, and even now, when she could speak of death freely without worry or fear or pain, it was sad to know that she was beyond talking to her siblings, or any of the people she'd cared about besides Charlie.

d to her in the months between Charlie's death and hers, and even now, when she could speak of death freely without worry or fear or pain, it was sad to know that she was beyond talking to her siblings, or any of the people she'd cared about besides Charlie.

"Silena?" Charlie squeezed her hand, and Silena looked up at him, startled. His expression was one of concern. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she said, letting herself relax. "Just thinking about everyone I left behind."

"Well, it'll get easier, I promise," Charlie said easily. "Yeah?"

"Okay," Silena said quietly. "I just..."

Whatever she had been about to say flew out of her mouth as she saw two people, a boy and a girl, stumbling past her. Strangely enough, she recognized them. And… "Oh, gods! Percy, Annabeth? Is that you?" she called.

One of them looked up, and Silena saw that it was Percy Jackson. Her heart twisted with sorrow for him; as with the entire Aphrodite cabin, Percabeth was her OTP, and it was horrible that they'd died. She supposed that it was better here, now, where they would never have to face that kind of pain again, but still she ached inside, even as she smiled brilliantly. "I can't believe you're here! It's so good to see you! I missed you so much and wanted to talk to you, and everyone else, so badly. Are you okay?" Judging from their intertwined hands, they were still together, so Silena didn't ask about their relationship status. Surely they wouldn't look so happy if they had broken up.

"Silena! Beckendorf," Percy greeted, looking sorrowful. "Listen, I'm so sorry that things had to happen the way they did. You know if I could have saved you, I would have. It's just not fair that you had to come to Elysium that way. But, of course, you died a hero."

Charlie smiled. "I know, Percy. Thanks, but I knew it had to be done, and I just knew that it was the right thing to do, you know? And I knew it was my time. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Percy opened his mouth to say something, relief spreading across his face, before Silena interrupted him. "I know this is terribly rude, but how…how did you…"

Annabeth knew what she was asking. "It's no problem, Silena. Well, you see, after your, um, after you came here, Rachel issued another prophecy. 'Seven half—bloods shall answer the call; to storm or fire the world must fall; an oath to keep with a final breath; and foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.'"

Silena listened with wide eyes as Annabeth explained everything that had happened after that, including details like how exactly the prophecy had been fulfilled and how she and Percy had finally lost the battle—their personal battle—but they had won the war. Silena couldn't imagine doing anything as brave as that, but it made sense for Annabeth, the bravest person she knew besides Clarisse, to have done all of it with Percy.

When Annabeth fell silent, all Silena managed to say was, "That's amazing. I could never have done any of that."

"You're plenty brave, Silena. I could never have done what you did. I mean, even if I were as close to Clarisse as you are, I wouldn't have ever dared to impersonate her like that. That was so brave."

Silena smiled. "Thank you, Percy. How do you feel about leaving people behind? How does it feel to know that you live among Greek heroes now? How does it feel to be a camp legend? Do you think everyone will miss you? You were a great example, you know. I ship you and Annabeth so hard! You two are so cute together!"

Percy blinked. "You're welcome, sad, awesome, awesome, yes, thanks, okay, okay."

Silena giggled. "I suppose it would feel awesome to be a camp legend, wouldn't it? I mean, it basically means everyone worships you and talks about you nonstop, right? Isn't that what it's about?"

"You're as much a legend as we are. Silena Beauregard and Charlie Beckendorf, whose sacrifice made it possible for us to defeat Kronos. Your stories get told around the campfire to new campers, and they love hearing about it. You guys rule."

"Thanks," Silena said honestly. "That's amazing to hear."

"Oh, you're definitely welcome. It's really not the same around camp without you, you know," Annabeth said softly. "Your siblings think about you all the time. I think that you're the most heroic child of Aphrodite I've ever had the pleasure of meeting."

"Aw, thanks," Silena said again. "Have you met anyone else we know yet?" Luke, she thought with a pang. She had talked to him when she'd arrived—when she'd died—and they had made amends. It had taken a considerable weight off her shoulders, and they got along well now.

"Yeah, Luke. He showed us around, but we haven't met anyone important yet. Like, say, Odysseus or Achilles. Are they around here?"

Silena brightened. She had met most of the Greek legends of old here, and they were all surprisingly modern. They didn't speak Shakespearean, at least. Achilles had even said "crap", which Silena found very modern indeed. "Want me to show you some of them? I've met a lot. They're all really down—to—earth, and nice, too."

"Sure," Annabeth said with a slight shrug and a smile.

Silena took them, a smile on her face and a new spring in her step. Two of her friends were here with her in paradise. Could anything be better?

**Review, please?**


	20. Blackjack

**Thanks a million to GuestsRuleTheWeb, AsTheDragonFlies, dogbiscuit1967, theGirlwithTheAwesomeUsername, and finally to my best friend KitKatWei. This chapter is also per her request. Enjoy!**

**P.S.: Don't worry, guys, I read all your reviews and will do them all someday. Thanks to those who requested.**

**P.P.S.: 101 REVIEWS! I CAN'T THANK YOU ALL ENOUGH! :D :D :D **

BLACKJACK

Blackjack pranced around his stall, abuzz with excitement. Around this time, someone usually came in and told him new news—ha, new news!—of his boss Percy, and today he absolutely could not wait. For some reason, he was on edge. He hoped his boss was okay.

"Blackjack?" Someone came in then, someone he didn't recognize. "I have something to tell you."

"What?" Blackjack nickered, but unfortunately the person didn't understand.

"Um, well, Blackjack, buddy, you know Percy? Percy Jackson? Son of Poseidon? Ring any bells for ya, horsey?"

"How dumb do you THINK I am? Of course I know who Percy is! He's my boss!" Blackjack neighed, annoyed, but again the other person didn't get it. He didn't understand horse—speak like his boss did.

"I guess you do. Well, anyway, ya know he went on a quest, right? I don't know how smart pegasi are, but you do understand? Quest? Prophecy? Those words mean anything to you?"

Blackjack was starting to get annoyed. He decided that when Percy got back, he'd ask him to ask Chiron to only assign children of Poseidon to give him updates whenever Percy was away from then on. None of these Hermes kids—that's what this kid looked like he was, anyway, with those creepy elf eyes—understood him like his boss did.

The kid scratched the back of his neck with his hand, looking apologetic. "Blackjack, buddy, your friend Percy and his girlfriend Annabeth got into a big fight with Gaea. You know her, yeah? Big, ugly earth woman? Pretty bad? Well, uh, like I said, she and the Seven…they had a big fight. A battle, ya know? I guess you've seen your share of battles. You're a pegasi, after all. So anyway, they got into this big fight…"

Blackjack whinnied the horse equivalent of "I KNOW THEY GOT INTO A BIG FIGHT! GET TO THE POINT!"

The kid winced. "Ah, yeah. So, during the fight, Percy and Annabeth…" A shadow of pain crossed his face. "I'm new, alright? I didn't know them that well, but they were nice to me whenever they met me. I wish they were still around so I could get to know them better. But they were injured pretty badly during the battle, and, well, we all miss them both tons. I'll give you some privacy, yeah?" The kid promptly bolted, probably glad to be gone.

Blackjack stared numbly at the floor, unable to comprehend what he had just learned. He could see strands of straw spread across the wood panels, but he didn't even care. Normally, being the rather OCD horse he was, he would have immediately swept all the straw back into its proper place and begin complaining to anyone who would understand about how important it was that his stall stay clean—he was a freaking PEGASUS!—but the only person who'd understood horse—speak, besides the horses, was Percy.

Oh, Percy. Blackjack could remember as if it had been yesterday how the brave demigod had saved him from that cursed ship, and given him a cool home and people to fawn over him, too. He'd never forgotten it, and that was why Percy was his boss. He was a good boss. He even refused to be called 'boss'! He was way better than Luke had been at bossing!

Blackjack realized then, in full force, that he would never be bossed by Percy ever again.

The thought tore at his heart. Oh, _Percy_. He had been brave and strong and kind, and he'd rescued Blackjack, essentially saving his life. Blackjack was grateful, and had tried to repay the debt every single day of the rest of his life. But now? He would never get to. Now, Percy was gone, and Blackjack would never see him again.

The pegasus folded his wings and sank to his knees and silently mourned for the great hero who he would never see again—his boss, Percy Jackson.

**Review please! **


	21. Rachel

**Wow, I didn't think Blackjack's was really sad, but apparently it was. Thanks a million to PercyJacksontheChicken, Shinny Star, 2, Green2083, inv2, OverLordRevan, and dogbiscuit1967 for your various reviews, follows and favorites! It means so much to me! And now, here's the long—awaited (well, I guess) chapter! **

**P.S: I'm currently in the middle of Blood of Olympus, and let me just say that it's AMAZHANG. Y'all must read. But hopefully this will remain an AU fic.**

RACHEL

Rachel was pacing in her cave, a knot of dread twisting in her stomach, as she waited for Chiron's messenger. He, or she, was late, and Rachel didn't like it. She had always depended on her instincts, and now her instincts were forcefully telling her that something was very wrong.

Despite the fact that she knew her instincts were always right, Rachel fiercely pushed down the wave of nausea that threatened to overcome her whenever she thought about what her apprehension might mean. She refused to think about how scared she was for her friends, and she _absolutely _did not think about her dream from the night before.

Biting her lip, Rachel stopped pacing and sat down, her legs suddenly giving way under her. She hadn't believed her dream when she'd woken up, but now, when her body was giving her a distress signal, it was all too easy to.

She'd dreamed of the signs of Gaea's rising, as usual—rivers, lakes, roads and trees being swallowed whole by gaping holes in the earth, dirt randomly exploding and killing people by the dozens, satyrs being massacred as they fought in vain against the earth itself, and hundreds of other things that usually left Rachel awaking each morning with the screams of dying nymphs ringing in her ears.

Pleasant.

But that wasn't what she was concerned about. In the middle of the dream, right before she would've seen another nymph die painfully, a single image had stopped the flow of the dream, and Rachel still saw it every time she closed her eyes as if it had been burned into the backs of her eyelids.

It was simple: five figures standing around two people lying on rocky, red ground. The picture had had uncanny clarity, like an HD photo—Rachel had been able to see the horrified and sad expressions on the five's faces as they looked down upon the two either dead or unconscious people.

She didn't want to think about how familiar they looked, so she didn't.

"Rachel?" Someone came in, and Rachel stood quickly. It was Malcolm, Annabeth's half—brother. He looked shell—shocked, and Rachel vehemently ignored the fact that the dread in her gut was getting more intense with every step he took.

"Yeah. That's me. What is it? Is it news? What news? Are Percy and Annabeth okay? Are those newbies, Leo and Piper, okay? Is Jason okay? Are the Romans okay?"

Malcolm held up a hand. "Um, news, yes, bad news, no, sort of, sort of, sort of."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'NO'?"

Malcolm winced. "Uh, Rachel, Percy and Annabeth fought very bravely in the final battle against Gaea." He said every word like it stabbed him repeatedly on the way out of his mouth. "I will always love Annabeth. She was an amazing sister, a great person, and the perfect example of what a daughter of Athena should be." The last few sentences were sincere, but pain was clear in his voice.

Rachel froze, one hand flying to her mouth. No. No, it wasn't possible. No, no, no, no, _no! _Malcolm was lying. He wasn't implying—surely he didn't mean—

Rachel was barely aware of Malcolm quietly leaving the cave. She fell back onto her bed, blinking rapidly at the ceiling to stop the tears from flowing. No, no, NO. Percy and Annabeth were perfectly fine, she told herself. Everything would work out eventually. They'd come back victorious.

But she knew better. The pain in Malcolm's voice, the way he had said Annabeth _was_ the perfect daughter of Athena, everything he'd said…It all implied that he spoke the truth, that Percy and Annabeth were really—gone.

The thought was hard for Rachel to process. After Tartarus, she'd grown confident that nothing would be able to defeat them, strike them down. That nothing would be able to kill them, because they'd survived where no one ever had before. **(She doesn't know about Nico. Let's just keep it that way, yeah?)**

Too confident.

That was when Rachel broke down, tears streaming down her face, blurring her vision until everything was just a group of streaks. Annabeth had been strong, smart, and loyal; Percy, too. And Percy had been friends with her when no one else had been. She liked him a lot, but not in that way anymore. He was—had been—the best friend she'd ever had, aside from Annabeth.

Rachel knew that she had lost two friends that day, and the world seemed a little bit darker, a little less bright, a little less joyful, when she finally left her cabin in a daze.

She doubted that it would ever regain its light again.


End file.
